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Knights of the Silver Hand
The Knights of the Silver Hand, also called the Order of the Silver Hand, or simply the Silver Hand, was the order of paladins created after the First War by Uther the Lightbringer and Archbishop Alonsus Faol. Years after its decimation by the corrupted Prince Arthas in the Third War, the shattered remnants of the Silver Hand bounced back under new leadership. Tirion Fordring later rejoined its ranks and reorganized it. He now prepares to take the fight to Northrend itself. A "Knight of the Silver Hand" is a fancy title for "paladin" , and is the equivalent to the term "Blood Knight" for the blood elves. History Foundation and the Second War The former order led by Faol, the Holy Order of Northshire Clerics, was devastated during the First War. When Faol refounded the order in Lordaeron, he recruited noble knights and former clerics to train in the ways of war and the Light. Even a few members of the priesthood decided to take up the more physical and steadfast path. In Alonsus Chapel in Stratholme, Uther the Lightbringer was apointed the first of the paladins, followed by Saidan Dathrohan, Tirion Fordring, Turalyon, candidates recommended by Alonsus Faol himself, and Gavinrad the Dire, a candidate proposed by Lord Anduin Lothar . The Silver Hand was born. The paladins were instrumental in winning the war, and the sight of them wielding their mighty warhammers and holy powers gave others inspiration on the battlefield and the home front. Uther and his paladins were truly a sight to behold. Even some of the Alliance's greatest knights and warriors were in awe when they saw them smashing Orcs down while healing fallen allies at the same time. Uther was particularly remarkable to be the first to manifest the Light on the battlefield. Destruction of the original Order The introduction of the Plague marked the beginning of the end of the original Order of the Silver Hand. One of their own, Prince Arthas, turned his back on the order in his dark pursuit of vengeance. Shortly afterwards, he fully embraced the evil he had been hunting and became a death knight in the service of the Lich King. Returning to Lordaeron, Arthas killed Uther Lightbringer and decimated the Order. Even after the triumph at Mount Hyjal, the paladins remember Arthas's betrayal. Many paladins feel responsibility for him, because the Holy Light teaches that every person can strengthen other people. Since they were unable to strengthen Arthas, the entire world suffered. Many of the surviving paladins formed the Scarlet Crusade in an attempt to reclaim their homeland. This zealous order hunts Arthas's servants, the undead, with a frightening ruthlessness that demonstrates their determination to fix past mistakes. Many paladins remained loyal to the Alliance. They may have fought under different flags but still pledged themselves to the Alliance's cause forever. After the Third War Though decimated the Silver Hand bounced back eventually (although some paladins argue it was never destroyed in the first place). The "current" order is much smaller than the original, and with a fragmented leadership. Humans began the Knights of the Silver Hand, and they remain the bulk of its membership. They are proud of the paladins' contribution to the Second and Third Wars, though they are shamed at Arthas's betrayal. After such an enormous breach of trust, the paladins have resolved anew to eliminate all traces of corruption in their ranks. The new order has also began to accept dwarves into the ranks to replace paladins lost during the Third War (although they had previously accepted a few dwarven paladins as far back as the second war, it was uncommon). The order is not nearly as active as it once was , however those belonging to the organization are some of the most active members of the Alliance . Some knights of the Silver Hand (and former knights) are also members of the Argent Dawn . Internal power struggles in the leadership keep it from being very strong. Status of the Order According to the Tirion Fordring questline, from his perspective and opinion, the order no longer exists, having been destroyed by Arthas. After losing their leadership and being driven from their headquarters, the paladins scattered all over the continent, with some even following Jaina Proudmoore across the ocean to stay in Theramore. Tirion Fordring believes that no other paladin had the right to take up Uther's mantle as the leader of the Silver Hand. However, spurred by his son Taelan's death, Tirion vows to reform the Order, and to take his place as Highlord to combat the Scarlet Crusade and the Scourge. Time will tell how many paladins will unite under his banner: the fact that Uther Lightbringer himself ordered his exile might keep some hardliners of the old order from trusting his way. However other characters in the game have a different view regarding the current status of the Order. Several in-game sources and the Warcraft RPG indicates that an "Order of Silver Hand" in some form is still in existence. According to the paladin history in character selection screen (pre-patch 2.01): "Although paladins were once exclusively human, number of stout-hearted dwarves have recently been welcomed into the Order of the Silver Hand" Several paladin trainers in Stormwind and Ironforge consider themselves to be part of the Order. A human paladin, Brother Sammuel, invites a new human paladin into the Order of the Silver Hand: "But until then, be patient... Knight of the Silver Hand. The dwarven paladin Bromos Grummner also invites a new dwarf paladin into the Order of the Silver Hand: "You're a Knight of the Silver Hand now, be ready to play the part." Even articles and short stories in the RPG, for example Alliance Player's Guide, 2006 confirms the current existence the Order, and that there are still individuals calling themselves, "Knights of the Silver Hand" in modern times. Although it appears to be much smaller than the original order, as well as reference to some kind of leadership which is still in control. For example according to Alliance Player's Guide, it says that Argent Dawn has members who are still Knights of the Silver Hand (as well as members who were former Silver Hand Knights) . The book also discusses that organization of the Knights of Silver Hand still exists , even though it was nearly wiped out, and elsewhere in the book that Tirion Fordring has not yet taken over leadership of the Silver Hand, and is still in exile . They are members a 'current' order of the Silver Hand, which "bounced back" after its decimation . Tirion is pledging to reform the original Order by reestablishing himself as the leader of the current one. The RPG discusses the existence of the current Order of the Silver Hand that still exists. Brann believed if Tirion Fordring could be recruited into Silver Hand, he could whip it back into action, and also bring the Scarlet Crusade back into the realm of sanity. In Wrath of the Lich King: Return of the Silver Hand It was announced at BlizzCon 2007 - based on the quest chain involving him and his son - that Tirion Fordring will appear in the new expansion, ''Wrath of the Lich King'', near the port of Valgarde in the Howling Fjord. He has been identified as Highlord Tirion Fordring (based on what he had said after completing In Dreams: "I now take my place as Highlord of the new Order of the Silver Hand"). http://www.wowinsider.com/2007/08/04/blizzcon-day-2-wow-lore-and-quests-panel-liveblog/ Notable members For a complete list of Knights of the Silver Hand, see this list of paladins. Category:Lore Category:Paladins Category:Organizations Category:Wrath of the Lich King